It is impossible to walk past Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch and not stop to gaze at the incredible building. Sitting peacefully in the centre of the buzzing east London district – surrounded by bars, warehouses and street art – the architectural delight is a juxtaposition of contemporary clean design in an area full of dark, Victorian buildings.
Blending concrete and timber together with bronze door frames, the luxury Shoreditch hotel and restaurant’s façade exudes elegance. So, we were over the moon when we were invited to dine in the beautiful building.
Founded in 1994 by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper, with restaurants and hotels spanning five continents, the Nobu brand prides itself as an ‘ultimate destination lifestyle experience’. Going from strength to strength, the Nobu restaurant in Shoreditch is run by Executive Head Chef Sandi Richmond and promises to serve all the classic Nobu dishes, which include Yellowtail with Jalapeño and Black Cod Miso.
Ushered through the hotel reception and down a grand staircase, we found the NAMI bar and Nobu restaurant. Shown to our large marble table, the waiter shouted a friendly war cry which was returned with echoed responses from other waiters around the room – did they know City Matters had entered the building? Sitting in our comfortable, stone-coloured booth, we were introduced to our brilliant waiter for the evening, Dora.
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Having never dined at Nobu before, we were happily informed about the way the restaurant worked, the reasoning behind each dish, and the order in which they would come out. We were advised to choose around five to seven dishes while also being reassured that we could always order more if needed at any point during the evening. An almost impossible task, we finally made our food choices and opted for a glass of Veuve Clicquot Brut, NV to celebrate the start of the evening.
We decided on the famous Yellowtail Jalapeño and Shitake Mushroom Salad from the cold section of the menu, to be followed by the Beef Toban Yaki and the Baby Tiger Shrimp with Three Sauces from the hot dishes section. Marrying perfectly with the glass of Champagne, the dishes did not disappoint. The fresh, tangy Yellowtail tuna sashimi was a perfect way to start, while the citrus dressing on the mushroom salad added a fantastic zing to the already flavourful fungi. The Beef Toban Yaki was rich and the perfectly-cooked meat melted in our mouths. If it wasn’t for the incredible amount of butter coating the mushrooms and beef, we would have ordered another bowl of it.
We then decided to continue the experience with a bottle of the Château La Tour De L’Eveque “Petale Rose”, Provence, France, which was divine. The light, yet full-bodied, blush was the perfect tonic to pair with the sushi course. The pièce de résistance from the Japanese-Peruvian restaurant, has to be its sushi offering. The fresh maki, sashimi and nigiri placed on a beautiful rectangular plate were all incredible, and we only wish we had more room to order more of the delicious works of art.
With the end of the evening in sight, we knew we couldn’t leave without trying a little traditional sake. So, we decided on a small pot of exceptionally smooth, Hokusetsu Junmai Sado, which (in our opinion) was made to be sipped on while tucking into a molten chocolate dessert with matcha tea ice cream Bento Box. The bitterness of the cold ice cream went hand in hand with the sweet richness of the chocolate. Delicious!
A perfect place for a special occasion, work meeting or celebration, Nobu Restaurant London Shoreditch is top of our lists for fine dining in the City of London. Despite its rather pricey menu, you’re sure to head back to the restaurant time and time again to treat yourself to such a wonderful, and truly delicious, culinary experience.
30 Willow Street EC2A 4BH
london-shoreditch.nobuhotels.com
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